Chapter 101 - Arc 8: Wuling Immortal Sect | Chapter 101: The Way of the Ruthless Killing Sword

Chapter 101 - Arc 8: Wuling Immortal Sect | Chapter 101: The Way of the Ruthless Killing Sword

Translator: Lynn

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<<Start of Arc 8: Wuling Immortal Sect>>

Amidst the overwhelming killing intent, an eerie silence enveloped the stone field, broken only by Xu Ziqing’s puzzled voice.

Unaware of the changes in the environment, Xu Ziqing turned his gaze to the far horizon, where a white figure was rapidly approaching with an aura of boundless murderous intent. The pressure was suffocating, as dense as quicksilver, and its sheer vastness was daunting.

With the commotion settled, the cultivators could see clearly. The man was over eight feet tall, clad in simple, plain clothes, with long hair cascading down without any adornments. Yet, despite his unassuming appearance, he exuded a terrifying strength that surpassed that of those sect disciples adorned in lavish robes and wielding numerous magical weapons.

His imposing figure was surrounded by a potent blend of murderous and sword auras. At first glance, one would be captivated by his icy demeanor and the formidable pressure of his sword. Few noticed his stern, chiseled features, like a sharp sword soaring towards the heavens, emanating boundless sharpness, brazenly piercing the sky.

“That’s Yun Lie from the Wuling Immortal Sect!”

“Wasn’t he in retreat? Why is he here all of a sudden?”

“I heard he wanted to come here not too long ago. Just look at the way he moves!”

“... That’s sword intent!”

“He’s actually coming with sword intent! Isn’t that the essence of sword intent? And this kind of sword intent...”

“Huh, if you accidentally cross paths with him on a normal day, run away as fast as you can!”

Under the Nascent Soul realm, walking in the sky was impossible.

As the plain-clothed man approached, the cultivators realized that he wasn’t stepping on the void but utilizing an enigmatic sword consciousness. When their spiritual senses probed, they could see two sword-shaped entities there, appearing tangible and intangible, nearly impossible to discern.

It was the sword intent.

However, if they tried to examine it for too long, their souls would tremble, and the released consciousness would experience an excruciating pain, as though shattered by the sword intent in an instant.

Such dominant and ruthless sword intent! It showed no mercy!

The cultivators learned their lesson and refrained from further prying with their spiritual senses.

Listening to the people’s comments, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but think that Yun Lie from the Wuling Immortal Sect truly lived up to his reputation.

The plain-clothed man arrived, guided by sword intent, and landed mid-air, standing before a young man in green.

It was then that the cultivators remembered that this person had called someone by name, seeming to address him as Xu Ziqing. Could this young boy be Xu Ziqing? What kind of relationship did he have with Yun Lie that allowed him to come here?

Hence, before Xu Ziqing realized it, his name and identity had already drawn the attention of many cultivators.

In the moment, Xu Ziqing was filled with bewilderment and shock, completely oblivious to his surroundings. As he saw the familiar figure approaching, he stood frozen, his eyes expressing his perplexity.

What was going on? He hastily immersed his consciousness into his storage ring, where he had seen a friend in white sitting on a stone platform. So who was this now?

The man in plain clothes stood still and uttered, “Follow me.”

Xu Ziqing instinctively responded, “Yes, Brother Yun,” but quickly halted, his voice hesitant as he inquired, “You... Are you Brother Yun?”

The man in plain clothes nodded, “It’s me.”

The man’s tone, breath, and every movement made it evident that they were indeed his friend.

The man spread his hands, presenting Xu Ziqing with a bamboo knot as a gift. Flustered, Xu Ziqing had not prepared a gift in return. Nevertheless, he took the bamboo knot, feeling the coolness in his hands. He liked it but also felt uneasy about not having a gift to offer in return. In haste, he reached out and wove several thin grass stalks into a light blue hair band, presenting it to the man as his gift.

The plain-clothed man accepted the hairpin and tied his long hair with it. He then said, “You should do the same.”

Embarrassed, Xu Ziqing realized his hair was disheveled from the strong wind before. He quickly pulled it up with the bamboo knot, restoring his appearance.

Afterward, the two sat in silence, the earlier awkwardness gradually dissipating. Xu Ziqing felt as if he had returned to the small world, enjoying the tranquility of their relationship.

Soon after, a gust of wind blew, and Xu Ziqing’s eyes blurred as he spotted a young man in a yellow robe standing on Si Feng’s back. He flicked his sleeves and released several men and women, including Su Xin and the others.

Seeing his comrades, Xu Ziqing felt relieved, realizing that this young man in the yellow robe was the one the plain-clothed man had mentioned.

The young man in the yellow robe noticed the bamboo knot in Xu Ziqing’s hair and then glanced at the man in plain clothes sitting opposite him. His eyes widened as if he had seen something incredible. Quickly regaining his composure, he said to the cultivators who had just stood still, “Follow me, don’t go over there.” Su Xin wanted to greet Xu Ziqing and ask questions, but he heeded the yellow-robed boy’s warning and refrained. He thought it would be better to settle down first and then talk to Xu Ziqing later.

With that, the group followed Du Xiu and sat down with some unfamiliar cultivators.

After introductions, Du Xiu waved his hand and took out a jade piece, asking everyone to test their spiritual roots so he could report to the sect. They were familiar with this jade as Tang Wenfei had used it before to test their spiritual roots. The test was quickly done, and Du Xiu received the jade back.

Upon examining the results, Du Xiu exclaimed, “One person has a single fire spiritual root! The rest of you possess dual spiritual roots, very well.” Hearing this, Su Xin and the others were anxious, wondering what their prospects might be.

Du Xiu continued, “Diao Zimo has dual water and fire spiritual roots and is qualified to enter the inner sect. Su Xin, with his single-fire spiritual root and excellent aptitude, can enter after passing the character test. As for the others...ordinary individuals need to complete three tests to enter our immortal sect.”

The group listened intently.

“The first test is already done—the spiritual root test. All of you have dual spiritual roots. Zhuo Hanyan, Ran Xingjian, and Luo Hou possess foundation-building skills, qualifying them to enter the inner sect. The second test evaluates your mind. If you pass, the three of you will join the inner sect. If not, you can join the outer sect. However, if you gain the favor of those in power among the elders, you may join the inner sect without going through this test.”

Upon hearing this, Su Xin asked, “What about my fellow Taoist...” He glanced at Xu Ziqing.

Du Xiu smiled and nodded, “That person is the newly-promoted enforcer in charge, holding real power. He can recommend someone to join their Xiaozhu Peak in the sect. I think your Taoist friend, Xu Ziqing, would be a great fit there.” Zhuo Hanyan then inquired if there were any drawbacks to recommending someone.

Du Xiu approved, “If the spiritual root is immature and the mind unstable, it’s okay to stay in the inner sect. However, if the recommended person causes harm to the sect, the one who recommended them will bear full responsibility.”

This recommendation was a compliment given by the sect to those with real power who could get things done.

The group gained a deeper understanding of the sect’s procedures and found Du Xiu to be approachable, encouraging more questions.

Su Xin, being straightforward, asked, “Senior Du, since we are from the same sect, why did you prevent me from talking to Brother Ziqing earlier?” Du Xiu didn’t find it disobedient and smiled, “Not just you, even among my juniors, I never interact with Yun Shixiong.”

Su Xin wondered why.

The others were curious as well. While Yun Shixiong was indeed powerful, Senior Du was equally formidable and likely a Golden Core Stage Cultivator, so why did he act this way?

Du Xiu shook his head and sighed, “It’s better to forget it. You all have extraordinary aptitude, and most of you can join the inner sect. In that case, I’ll tell you. Yun Shixiong practices swordsmanship, which has always been stronger than that of ordinary cultivators. But it’s not enough to make people fearful. However, Yun Shixiong practices the way of ruthless killing swords...” He paused, his voice tinged with fear, “...a terrifying sword path. To master it, one must carry out countless killings, amassing endless killing intent. Practitioners of this path have no regard for kinship; they are ruthless and heartless, devoid of fear, joy, and worry. Emotions have no place in their hearts. They establish strict rules of killing in their minds, and anyone who violates them will be mercilessly slain. Therefore, they are not easy to provoke; otherwise, they will kill without hesitation. Even heaven descending upon the world will not deter them!”

The cultivators shuddered upon hearing this description.

Now, they refrained from looking at beyond Si Feng’s head and neck and sat upright with their eyes closed, too afraid to peek.

Du Xiu continued speaking, “Although the ruthless killing sword is the most terrifying path among many sword techniques, it has a flaw that makes it difficult for most people to practice. When one cultivates the ruthless killing sword intent and embraces extreme ruthlessness, one must accumulate a myriad of emotions in thousands of acts of ruthlessness. They need to turn these emotions into a clear altar to avoid being consumed by the killing intent. However, to practice ruthlessness, one must eradicate all seven kinds of emotions5These seven are: Happiness, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Anger, Contempt, and Surprise.. It becomes a paradox—how can one have feelings and yet be devoid of them? The heart of a practitioner of the ruthless killing sword is like a rock, unyielding and unshakable. Their killing intent is extremely potent, and even a slight lapse in focus can lead to becoming entranced by it. And even if they manage to avoid such fascination, as long as they cannot harmonize emotion with ruthlessness, they will never advance beyond the peak of the Golden Core Transformation Stage, forever lingering in the elusive realm of the elixir, unable to reach the golden elixir stage. Many cultivators are thus discouraged from pursuing this path due to its immense challenges.”

Ran Xingjian, who rarely spoke, asked, “Then what about Yun Shixiong?”

Du Xiu sighed, “Yun Shixiong is a cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core Transformation Stage. He has remained at this level for over ten years and has only recently formed the image of the primordial spirit. Obviously, Yun Shixiong has a naturally compatible temperament with this path, advancing rapidly and comprehending the ruthless killing sword. In the vast world, there are very few sword cultivators who can comprehend sword intent, let alone the terrifying sword intent of the ruthless killing sword. It is truly something to be feared!”

Su Xin gasped, “So, it’s all because of Yun Shixiong’s limited cultivation level...”

Du Xiu shook his head, “I’m not sure. In my Wuling Immortal Sect, there is a peak known for enforcing discipline, especially for punishing those who violate the sect’s rules. To enter this peak, one must have a strong cultivation base. Normally, at least a Golden Core Stage cultivator can apply. However, Yun Shixiong has dozens of Golden Core Stage cultivators defeated under his hands, making him the only exception, despite his cultivation level being below Golden Core Stage. He is a mid-term Golden Core Stage cultivator, but I can’t say for certain if that is his true strength. If you were to fight him, you might never have a good chance of winning.”

Du Xiu glanced at the young man in the green shirt sitting opposite the plain-clothed man and said, “I’m amazed by how well he gets along with your friend, given his ability to stand beside Yun Shixiong.”

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